Fostering inclusive design - children's infrastructure

Public realm has generally been colonised by vehicular traffic which makes the need for communal and private residential amenity spaces more critical. Increasingly the council has moved to prioritise pedestrian and cyclist use of the city over vehicular use which is stated clearly in the Belfast Open Space Strategy (BOSS). In this regard, new development should strive to meet the play needs of children and identify the design elements required to foster safe-play, particularly within a residential shared space setting. An integrated child-friendly approach reverses the traditional idea that children's spaces should be treated as discreet areas, such as playgrounds, and be excluded from other parts of the public realm. Catering for a 'children's infrastructure' within the network of spaces, streets, landscape and design interventions, can provide an opportunity to create better cities and better outcomes for all generations.